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July 2, 1957 w. J. SMITH JIG AND MATERIAL FEEDING MEANS THEREFOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec.

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JIG AND MATERIAL FEEDING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Dec. l'7 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR; WILLIAM J. SMITH,

ATT').

nite? States 2,797,810 Fatent'e'd July 2, 1957 2,797,810 JIG AND MATERIAL FEEDING MEANS THEREFOR William J. Smith, Worthington, Ohio, assignor to The Jeffrey Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Ohio Application December 17, 1952, Serial No. 326,480 7 Claims. (Cl. 209-497) This invention relates in general to jigs of the type wherein materials are separated by upwardly and downwardly pulsating jigging fluid in a jig cell or container. More specifically, the invention relates to an improved jig of the foregoing type that includes an improved means for introducing materials into the jig, and to the improved introducing means per se.

An object of the invention 'is to provide an improved jig, as above mentioned, which includes an improved means for feeding materials to the jig, that holds or pockets material and from which material will be fed to the jig by upward and downward pulsations of jigging fluid contained within the jig.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved jig, as above mentioned, which includes an improved sluice or trough for feeding materials to the jig, that holds or pockets material and from which material is fed into the jig cell or container by the action of upwardly and downwardly pulsating fluid in the jig cell or container.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the novel features and combinations being set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view in elevation, with parts broken away, of a jig including the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in section on a larger scale showing a portion of the sluice or trough that conveys material to be separated toward the jig and a portion of the jig;

Fig. 3 is a view in plan of a portion of the jig seen in Fig. 1 and the sluice that carries material to be separated to the jig; and

Fig. 4 is a side view in elevation of the elements seen in Fig. 3.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings there is shown a jig which, except for features hereinafter specifically shown or described, follows the jig shown in Patent No. 2,28l,530 dated April 28, 1942, to Orval R. Strawn.

The jig 10 is a multiple cell or compartment jig that includes a first cell 11 and a second cell 12. Materials are separated by stratification in each of the jig cells 11 and 12 according to differences in their specific gravities by upwardly and downwardly pulsating jigging fluid contained within each of the cells 11 and 12.

The construction of each of the cells or compartments 11 and 12 is substantially identical and therefore the brief description of the first jig cell or compartment 11, which follows, also describes the second cell 12. In the jig cell 11 there is a screen or bed 13 that divides the cell into a lower hutch compartment 14 and an upper jigging, separating or stratifying compartment 15. Between the cells 11 and 12 there is a weir 16 that determines the static level of the jigging fluid, such as Water, contained Within the first compartment 11. The jigging fluid within the cells or compartments 11 and 12 is caused to pulsate upwardly and downwardly by air under pressure which is admitted and released alternately from the cells 11 and 12 through rotaryvalves 17.

As the material in the cell 11 is stratified the material of the highest specific gravity settles upon the screen 13 and is fed therefrom through a star wheel discharge mechanism 18 intoan elevator compartment 19 from which it is conveyed from the jig by an endless chain and bucket elevator 20. The material of low and intermediate specific gravities form into strata above the high gravity material on the screen 13 and is fed by the upwardly and downwardly pulsating jigging fluid in the cell 11 over the weir 16 and into the second cell 12 where it is again stratified according to specific gravity. Of the material thus fed to cell 12 that having the highest specific gravity is stratified upon a screen 21 in cell 12 from which it is fed into an elevator compartment 22 from which it is discharged from the pig by an endless chain and bucket elevator 23 similar to elevator 20. The material of lowest specific gravity flows from the cell 12 through a discharge chute or outlet 24.

That portion of the jig above described is substantially identical with the jig shown in Patent No. 2,281,530, above identified, and its operation and construction are described in more complete detail in said patent.

Material to be separated is fed to the first cell or compartment 11 of the jig 10 through an improved sluice or trough 25. Sluice or trough 25 includes a feedway comprising a relatively narrow conveyer section or portion 26 and a transition portion 27 by which the narrow conveyer section 26 is expanded laterally and connected to the first cell or compartment 11 of the jig 10. Conveyer section 26, in cross section, is shaped like a flat bottom V and it includes a bottom 28 that lies in a single plane, indicated by a dot-dash line 29 in Figs. 1 and 2 and a pair of upwardly oppositely outwardly sloping side walls 30 that extend from the bottom 26 to outwardly extending reinforcing flanges 31.

The transition section 27 has an offset bottom including a portion 32 that lies on the plane 29 and a portion 33 that is offset downwardly from the portion 32 to form a ledge or step and this ofiset portion 33 lies in a plane extending parallel to the plane 29. A vertical wall 34 interconnects the bottom portions 32 and 33. A pair of oppositely upwardly outwardly extending twisted members 35 form the side Walls of the transition section 27 and these members or walls 35, like the Walls 30 of the conveyer portion 26, have top laterally extending reinforcing flanges .36. The bottom portion 32, side walls 35 and flanges 36 of the transition section 27 are welded respectively to the bottom 28, side walls 30 and flanges 31 of the conveyer portion 26 and the discharge end of the transition portion nearest the jig 10 is provided with a flange 37 by which it is bolted to a flange 38 of a portion 39 of the trough or sluice 25 that is made integral with the jig 10. The side and bottom walls, 48 and 41, respectively, of the trough or sluice portion 39 form continuations of and lie substantially in the same planes as the side and bottom members 35 and 33, respectively, of the transition portion27 that are connected to them through the flanges 37 and 38.

As the transition portion 25 advances from the trough portion 26 toward the jig 10 it expands laterally and one purpose for this lateral expansion of the transition portion is to spread, and reduce the velocity of, materials that are being fed toward the jig in the sluice or trough 25 so that materials being fed to the first jig cell or compartment "11 will approach the jig preferably in a progressively thinning layer that extends substantially throughout the full width of the separating compartment 15 of jig cell 11.

As seen in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the elements 32, 33, 34 and 41 that form the bottom of the sluice or trough 25 cooperate to form a step, ledge, shelf, or pocket 42 in the bottom of the sluice or trough 25 the open end of which is adjacent and in direct communication with thefirst jig cell 11 and onto or in which material being supplied to the first jig cell 11 will accumulate immediately before and from which-it is washed directly into the jig cell 11 byupwardly and downwardly pulsating fluid in the 3 cell. In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings the static level of the jigging fluid in jig cell 11 is indicated as being at the level of the top of weir 16 by a dot-dash line 43 and the vertical plane in which the inside surface of the jig wall 44 lies is indicated by a dot-dash line 45. The plane 29 on which bottom portion 32 of the transition section 27 lies slopes downwardly gradually toward the first jig cell 11 and it intersects the vertical plane 45 of wall 30 where, as indicated at 46 in the drawings, the vertical plane 45 intersects the level or plane 43. The plane 29 in which the bottom portion 32 of section 27 lies slopes toward the intersection 46 of the plane 43 and 45 in order that the flow of materials therethrough will be aided by gravity.

In the operation of the improved illustrated jig, materials to be separated are fed toward the jig 10 through the sluice or trough together with some fluid, which may be water. As this material leaves the conveyor section 26 and enters the transition section 27 it spreads laterally and its rate of travel is decreased. The material then flows onto the step, or ledge or into the pocket 42 formed by the cooperating walls 33, 34, 35, 40 and 41 where it accumulates. This step, ledge or pocket 42 forms an arresting means for the material being fed through the sluice and this material will be held on the step or ledge or in the pocket 42 and thereafter it is washed, lapped or fed into the first jig cell 11 by the action of the upwardly and downwardly pulsating fluid in the jig cell 11.

It is to be noted that during operation of the jig, the material being fed thereto does not flow into the jig cell 11 by reason of velocity gained while it was passing through the sluice or trough 25, and this because the material will not pass over the step, ledge or pocket 42. Actually the material which enters the jig cell 11 appears to be washed or rinsed from the step, ledge or pocket 42 by jigging fluid normally contained within the jig cell 11. As mentioned previously, the jigging fluid within the jig cell 11 pulsates upwardly and downwardly, that is, it has imparted to it alternate upward or pulsion strokes and downward or suction strokes. Each time the surface of the jigging fluid within the jig cell 11 is raised or elevated during a pulsion stroke the jigging fluid in jig cell 11 may flow over the material resting on or in the pocket, step or ledge 42 and over the bottom portion 32 of the transition section 27, and during each suction stroke when the level or the surface of the jigging fluid within the jig cell 11 is being lowered, the jigging fluid draws or pulls material from the step, ledge, pocket or trap 42 through its open end into the jig cell 11. When this occurs, jigging fluid working in the step or pocket 42 causes material on the bottom portion 32 thereof to flow into the separating compartment 15.

It has been found that the plane 29 in which the bottom portion 32 of transition section 27 lies should be at a relatively low angle of the order of 9 to the plane 43 which, of course, is horizontal but that satisfactory results may be had even though this angle be departed from slightly. It has been found in one installation that an angle of 9 and 27 is satisfactory. In said installation the depth of the step, shelf or ledge formed by the bottom portions 33 and 41 between the jig wall 44 and the upright wall 34 preferably was eighteen inches and the vertical dimension of the wall 34 was nine inches. Obviously, these are only illustrative of one preferred embodiment. In a broader aspect, other dimensions may be satisfactory, particularly with jigs of different sizes or in a single compartment jig. It is to be understood that the plane 29 of the bottom portion 32 of the sluice need not intersect exactly that point 46 where the vertical plane 45 of the side wall 44 intersects the plane 43 and that the bottom portion 32 of transition section need not form in itself a flat plane. Bottom portion 32 may be raised along its longitudinal center line or it may have material diverter elements attached to it to aid in spreading laterally material flowing through the transition section 27. It is also to be understood that under certain conditions the transition section 27 may be constructed to confine rather than spread the materials flowing to the jig and that under other conditions the transition section may be of uniform cross-sectional shape and form merely a continuation of the conveyer portion 26, but that regardless of the cross-sectional shape of the transition portion 27 that the step, ledge or shelf, pocket or trap 42 must be present. However, when the planes 2:9, 44 and 45 do intersect substantially as indicated at 46 in the drawings an ideal condition is had, but the intersection of plane 29 with planes 44 and 45 may be varied slightly for example, to accommodate minor adjustments in the height of the weir 16 without any great los of operational etficiency of the jig. It is important, however, that this relationship should not be deviated from to such an extent that the jigging fluid, during the operation of the jig, will not lap the material from above the step 42 into thejig cell 11 since this action is vital to the proper feeding of materials into the jig cell 11.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that by this invention there is provided an improved jig including an improved sluice or trough from which the material being fed to the jig is actually fed into the first jig cell 11 by the action of the fluid within the jig itself, that is, by the upwardly and downwardly pulsating action of the jigging fiuid lapping or acting above the step, ledge, or pocket in the sluice or trough 23, and dragging, washing or rinsing material from the step, ledge, pocket or trap 42 into the first jig cell 11. As an example, this action of the jigging fluid in the step or pocket 42 may be compared to the action of ocean waves adjacent or lapping upon a beach.

Obviouslyv those skilled in the art may make various changes in the details and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims hereto appended and applicant wishes therefore not to be restricted to the precise construction herein disclosed.

Having thus described and shown an embodiment of the invention, what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A jig in which materials are separated by upwardly and downwardly pulsating jigging fluid including a container for said fluid having a generally upright side wall, a feed opening in said side wall, means for introducing materials to be separated into said container including a sluice connected to said side wall adjacent the feed opening therein for feeding materials to the container, said sluice including a feedway sloping downwardly towards the container at a shallow angle for gravity feed of the materials towards the container, said sluice further including means for arresting the flow of materials before they are fed from the feedway to the container, said arresting means being disposed between the feedway and the feed opening in the side wall for accumulating the materials adjacent the feed opening and immersing the accumulated materials in the jigging fluid, said arresting means being open to the feed opening in the side wall whereby the upward and downward pulsations of the fluid in the container causes the fluid to wash material from the arresting means into the container thereby feeding material into the container to be separated therein.

2. A jig in which materials are separated by upwardly and downwardly pulsating jigging fluid including a container for said fluid having a generally upright side wall, a feed opening in said side wall, means for introducing materials to be separated into said container including a sluice connected to said side wall adjacent the feed opening therein for feeding materials to the container, said sluice including a feedway sloping downwardly at a shallow angle towards the container for gravity feed of the materials towards the container, said sluice further including means for arresting the flow of materials before they are fed from the feedway to the container, said arresting means being located below the static level of the jigging fluid in the container between the feedway and the feed opening in the side wall for accumulating the materials adjacent the feed opening and immersing the accumulated materials in the jigging fluid, said arresting means being open to the feed opening in the side wall whereby the upward and downward pulsations of the fluid in the container causes the fluid to wash materials from the arresting means into the container thereby feeding material into the container to be separated therein.

3. A jig in which materials are separated by upwardly and downwardly pulsating jigging fluid including a container for said fluid having a generally upright side wall, a feed opening in said side wall, means for introducing materials to be separated into said container including a sluice connected to said side wall adjacent the feed opening therein for feeding materials to the container, said sluice including a feedway sloping downwardly at a shallow angle towards the container for gravity feed of the materials towards the container, said sluice further including means for arresting the flow of materials before they are fed from the feedway to the container, a portion of the feedway leading to the arresting means fanning out toward the arresting means to slow the flow of materials thereto, said arresting means being located below the static level of the jigging fluid in the container between the feedway and the feed opening in the side wall for accumulating the materials adjacent the feed opening and immersing the accumulated materials in the jigging fluid, said arresting means being open to the feed opening in the side wall whereby the upward and downward pulsations of the fluid in the container causes the fluid to wash material from the arresting means into the container thereby feeding material into the container to be separated therein.

4. A jig in which materials are separated by upwardly and downwardly pulsating jigging fluid including a container for said fluid having a generally upright side wall, a feed opening in said side wall, means for introducing materials to be separated into said container including a sluice connected to said side wall adjacent the feed opening therein for feeding materials to the container, said sluice including a feedway sloping downwardly at a shallow angle towards the container for gravity feed of the materials towards the container, said sluice further including means for arresting the flow of materials before they are fed from the feedway to the container, a portion of the feedway leading to the arresting means fanning out towards the arresting means to slow the flow of materials thereto, said arresting means comprising a shelf forming an extension of the feedway located below the static level of the jigging fluid in the container between the feedway and the feed opening in the side wall for accumulating the materials adjacent the feed opening and immersing the accumulated materials in the jigging fluid, said arresting means being open to the feed opening in the side wall whereby the upward and downward pulsations of the fluid in the container causes the fluid to wash material from the arresting means into the container thereby feeding material into the container to be separated therein.

5. A jig in which materials are separated by upwardly and downwardly pulsating jigging fluid including a container for said fluid having a generally upright side wall, a feed opening in said side wall, means for introducing materials to be separated into said container including a. sluice connected to said side wall adjacent the feed opening therein for feeding materials to the container, said sluice including a feedway sloping downwardly at a shallow angle towards the container for gravity feed of the material towards the container, said feedway being connected to the container by a shelf portion ofiset below the plane of the feedway and forming a continuation thereof leading to the feed opening in the side wall, the

shelf portion being inclined downwardly at the same shallow angle as the feedway and having the same width as the fluid container, said feedway fanning out to the width of the shelf portion to slow the flow of materials to the shelf portion, said materials cascading from the fanned out portion of the feedway onto the shelf and accumulating thereon adjacent the feed opening in the side wall, said shelf being located below the static fluid level in the container in alignment with the feed opening in said side wall, the upward and downward pulsations of the fluid in the container causing the fluid to Wash material from the shelf into the container thereby feeding material into the container to be separated therein.

6. A jig in which materials are separated by upwardly and downwardly pulsating jigging fluid including a container for said fluid having a generally upright side Wall, a feed opening in said side wall, means for introducing materials to be separated into said container including a sluice connected to said side wall adjacent the feed opening therein for feeding materials to the container, said sluice including a feedway sloping downwardly at a shallow angle towards the container for gravity feed of the materials towards the container, said feedway being connected to the container by a shelf portion offset below the plane of the feedway and forming a continuation thereof leading to the feed opening in the side wall, said feedway fanning out towards the shelf portion to slow the flow of materials thereto, said materials cascading from the fanned out portion of the feedway onto the shelf and accumulating thereon adjacent the feed opening in the side wall, said shelf being located below the static fluid level in the container in alignment with the feed opening in said side wall, the upward and downward pulsations of the fluid in the container causing the fluid to wash material from the shelf into the container thereby feeding material into the container to be separated therein.

7. A jig in which materials are separated by upwardly and downwardly pulsating jigging fluid including a container for said fluid having a generally upright side wall, a feed opening in said side wall, means for introducing materials to be separated into said container including a sluice connected to said side wall adjacent the feed opening therein for feeding materials to the container, said sluice including a feedway sloping downwardly at a shallow angle towards the container for gravity feed of the materials towards the container, said feedway being connected to the container by a shelf portion offset below the plane of the feedway and forming a continuation thereof leading to the feed opening in the side wall, said materials cascading from the feedway onto the shelf and accumulating thereon adjacent the feed opening in the side wall, said shelf being located below the static fluid level in the container in alignment with the feed opening in the side wall, the upward and downward pulsations of the fluid in the container causing the fluid to wash material from the shelf into the container thereby feeding material into the container to be separated therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 38,467 Collom May 12, 1863 134,293 Kneisly Dec. 24, 1872 977,087 Falker et al Nov. 29, 1910 1,173,465 Steel Feb. 29, 1916 2,466,120 Nawman Apr. 5, 1949 2,638,214 Harvengt May 12, 1.953

FOREIGN PATENTS 505,424 Belgium Sept. 15, 1951 814,898 France Mar. 30, 1937 OTHER REFERENCES Taggart: Handbook of Mineral Dressing, 1945 Edition, Sec. 11, pages 99-100. 

